It drives Suzanne Saunders crazy. Almost every day, her 8-year-old son comes home from school clutching candy he got from a teacher.
"He gets Blow Pops, Tootsie Roll candy, those fruit roll-up things," says Saunders, whose son, Tyree, attends a charter school. "His poor teeth — I need to get him to a dentist."
Saunders is one of many parents frustrated about all the candy arriving home with their children. Despite growing concerns about childhood obesity, sweets have become the reward of choice.
Students get M&M's for paying attention. They get Skittles for turning in homework and Starburst for doing their class work. The practice is particularly common in elementary school, where ice cream and cupcake parties are normal events on the calendar.
Educators call it positive reinforcement. Critics, including parents, nutritionists and even some teachers, consider it bribery. They say using candy as an inducement encourages bad eating habits while sending a terrible message about the value of learning.
Nutritionists deplore the trend, which has been spreading for several years. They say rewarding children with goodies sends a terrible message about food, one that many kids carry into adulthood.
By every measure, American children are getting fatter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 15 percent of Americans between the ages of 6 and 19 are overweight — triple the rate 10 years earlier.
School districts aren't helping. Even as they cut back on recess and physical education classes, their schools are serving lunches that include chicken nuggets, jumbo tacos, pizza and corn dogs.
Paul Reggiardo, president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, says school treats are a bigger problem for obesity than dental hygiene. But candy is never good for teeth, he says, especially if it is doled out throughout the day.
"It's the frequency with which teeth are exposed (that causes problems)," he says.
June Fillion, chairwoman of Hillsborough's (Fla.) School Health Advisory Committee, remembers a recent request from her math teacher husband. He had created several learning games to use in his high school classroom and asked her to buy candy he could give to the winners.
"I told him, I'll go to the dollar store, but there won't be any candy," she said. Instead, she came home with cards and key chains.
"I asked him, 'Did the students miss the candy?' He said, 'No.' "
Fillion's point: Schools need to change their philosophy about rewards.
"Obviously," she says, "there are better choices than candy."